---
title: SB 126. Completion Special Schools Act; certain students to be enrolled; lower the age of eligibility from 18 to 16
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb126
cite_as: SB 126, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb126
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb126.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb126/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70080
date: 2025-03-10
status: engrossed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb125.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 515
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb126.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 126
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-03-04
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Clint Dixon
  - Billy Hickman
  - Greg Dolezal
  - Jason Anavitarte
  - Chuck Payne
  - Chuck Hufstetler
  - Elena Parent
text_version: Engrossed
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB126/2025
upstream_id: 1960977
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - dropout recovery programs
  - completion special schools
  - education eligibility age
  - Georgia public schools
---

# SB 126. Completion Special Schools Act; certain students to be enrolled; lower the age of eligibility from 18 to 16

## Text

Senate Bill 126
By: Senators Dixon of the 45th, Hickman of the 4th, Dolezal of the 27th, Anavitarte of the
31st, Payne of the 54th and others
AS PASSED SENATE
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 20-2-2096.1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
definitions relative to the "Completion Special Schools Act," so as to lower the age of
eligibility from 18 to 16 for certain students to be enrolled in a completion special school;
to revise definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Code Section 20-2-2096.1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to definitions
relative to the "Completion Special Schools Act," is amended by revising paragraphs (5)
and (6) as follows:
"(5) 'Dropout' means an individual <ins>16 years of age or older</ins> who previously dropped out
of school according to the uniform definition of 'dropout' provided for in subsection (f)
of Code Section 20-14-33.
(6) 'Enrollment eligible student' means:
(A) An individual <del>18</del> <ins>16</ins> years of age or older who is eligible for enrollment in
appropriate education programs as provided in subsection (a) of Code
Section 20-2-150, who meets the definition of dropout provided in paragraph (5) of this
Code section, and who is not currently enrolled in a public school in this state; or
(B) An individual who is attending a United States Department of Defense Youth
Challenge Academy or who is in the custody of a correctional facility, detention
facility, jail, prison, or other lawful place of confinement for the period of such
attendance or custody."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia Senate bill would lower the minimum age for enrolling in a completion special school from 18 to 16, letting younger students who dropped out qualify for these dropout-recovery programs.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia's Completion Special Schools Act sets up special schools aimed at helping students who have dropped out finish their education. Under current law, a student generally has to be 18 or older, have dropped out of school, and not be currently enrolled in a public school to qualify as an 'enrollment eligible student' for one of these programs.
This bill rewrites part of that law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2096.1) to lower that age threshold from 18 to 16. It also keeps the existing definition of 'dropout' as someone 16 or older who left school under the state's uniform dropout definition, and keeps the separate eligibility path for students in a U.S. Department of Defense Youth Challenge Academy or in custody at a correctional or detention facility. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and does not state a separate effective date beyond the standard process for a signed Act.

### What it does

- Lowers the minimum age for a dropout student to qualify for enrollment in a completion special school from 18 to 16.
- Keeps the existing rule that an eligible student must not be currently enrolled in a public school in Georgia.
- Leaves unchanged the eligibility path for students attending a Department of Defense Youth Challenge Academy or held in a correctional or detention facility.
- Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this change.

### Who it affects

16- and 17-year-olds in Georgia who have dropped out of school, along with the completion special schools and local school systems that run these dropout-recovery programs and would now be able to enroll younger students.

### Why it matters

Two years' worth of additional teenagers, those who drop out at 16 or 17 instead of waiting until 18, would become eligible to enroll in a completion special school sooner, potentially letting them re-engage with education and work toward a diploma earlier.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2096.1 by revising paragraph (6), changing the eligibility age in the definition of 'enrollment eligible student' from 18 to 16.
- The revised definition still requires the individual to meet the dropout definition in paragraph (5) and to not be currently enrolled in a public school in Georgia.
- Paragraph (5)'s definition of 'dropout' remains an individual 16 years of age or older who dropped out under the uniform definition in O.C.G.A. § 20-14-33(f).
- The separate eligibility category for Youth Challenge Academy attendees or individuals in custody at a correctional or detention facility is retained without change.
- Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the Act.

## Status

- Status: Engrossed (2025-03-04)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-03-10)
- Sponsors: Clint Dixon, Billy Hickman, Greg Dolezal, Jason Anavitarte, Chuck Payne, Chuck Hufstetler, Elena Parent
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70080

> The history, votes, and amendments (515 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb126.md?full=1